1. Local Government Climate Change Support Program 2016
Xhariep DM Climate Change Response Plan

2. Presentation Contents
Climate change plan development
Activities to date
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Results
Draft Climate Change Response Actions

3. Climate Change Plan Development
Developed through the Local Government Climate Change Support Program (LGCCS)
First Step - Conducting a climate change vulnerability assessment
Second Step - Developing climate change responses
Draft plan in place for review

4. Progress to date Provincial Introduction Workshop - 8 Sep 2016
1st District Workshop - Conducting a CC vulnerability assessments 25 Sep 2016
Draft municipal Climate Change Response Plans for comment
2nd District Workshop - Stakeholder Input and IDP integration 1 Dec 2016

5. Agriculture

6. Priority Indicators: Agriculture
Theme
Indicator Title
Agriculture
Increased risks to livestock
Reduced food security

8. Responses: Agriculture
Sub-Project: Manage increasing risks to livestock
Conduct a land audit to assess the capacity of land available against the amount of livestock
Conduct research around the establishment of food banks and animal feed production by collaborating with the Department of Agriculture and the University of the Free State.

9. Responses: Agriculture
Sub-Project: Manage increasing risks to livestock
Encourage farmers to rotate their cattle around the land to avoid overgrazing, through workshops and agricultural forums.
Increase awareness around water harvesting to communities through different forums and existing programmes within the District including: environmental health unit, agriculture department and forums, IDP public participation programme, and educational programmes (Lead is LED for this action).

10. Responses: Agriculture
Sub-Project: Manage food insecurity
Conduct a risk assessment of climate change on food security for subsistence farmers.
Conduct research on the introduction of aquaponics in the district.
Conduct workshops to educate subsistence farmers and business on how to reduce the risk associated with the potential impacts of climate change.
Develop emergency plans that will assist with responding to climate change related impacts such as malnutrition. Identify livelihood and economic diversification strategies that will reduce food insecurity.

11. Biodiversity and Environment

12. Priority Indicators: Biodiversity and Environment
Theme
Indicator Title
Biodiversity & Environment
Manage loss of high priority biomes
Manage increased impacts on threatened ecosystems
Manage loss of priority wetlands and river ecosystems

15. Responses: Biodiversity and Environment
Project: Manage the loss of high priority biomes
Develop a local biodiversity management plan to protect priority biomes.

16. Responses: Biodiversity and Environment
Project: Manage Increased impacts on threatened ecosystems
Develop an Environmental Management Plan for the District.

17. Responses: Biodiversity and Environment
Project: Manage Loss of Priority Wetlands and River ecosystems
Raise awareness on wetlands loss and conservation.

18. Human Health

19. Priority Indicators: Human Health
Theme
Indicator Title
Human Health
Increased malnutrition & hunger as a result of food insecurity

20. Responses: Human Health
Sub-Project: Manage increased malnutrition and hunger as a result of food insecurity
Develop water harvesting programmes together with the Department of Water and Sanitation and local municipalities.
Encourage multi-sectoral research on malnutrition in the District.
Encourage planting of drought resistant vegetation.
Establish community food gardens in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Local Economic Development, and Environmental Health.

21. Responses: Human Health
Sub-Project: Manage increased malnutrition and hunger as a result of food insecurity
Implement awareness campaigns to deal with malnutrition in collaboration with the Health Promotion Office and the Department of Health.
Office of the Mayor special programmes to respond to issues of food security and malnutrition.
Support programmes implemented by the Department of Agriculture such as training, maintenance, sustainability and community gardens. Support public awareness campaigns by the Department of Health.

22. Human Settlements

23. % Households in Informal Dwellings

24. Priority Indicators: Human Settlements
Theme
Indicator Title
Human Settlements
Increased isolation of rural communities

25. Responses: Human Settlements
Project: Manage potential increased isolation of rural communities.
Develop early warning systems to farming communities using media and encourage the use of indigenous knowledge.
Expand existing Rural Roads Asset Management Systems (RRAMS) project to farm communities through the existing funding from Department of Transport (rural roads and asset management that links farming communities).

26. Responses: Human Settlements
Project: Manage potential increased isolation of rural communities.
Conduct research into the introduction of new communication technologies for early warning systems
Promote awareness on climate change to farmers and remote communities Review current disaster contingency plans and include, within the plan, the evacuation and support of farming communities.

27. Water

28. Priority Indicators: Water
Theme
Indicator Title
Water
Decreased water quality in ecosystem due to increased concentrations of effluent & salt concentrations
Manage increased fish mortality as a result of the changing climate

29. Responses: Water Project: Manage decreased water quality in ecosystems
Increase internal capacity to deal with climate change and waste water issues, and review the staff organogram and existing budgets.
Through technical intergovernmental relations (IGR), present to Local
Municipalities on the impacts of climate change to the environment specifically the impact to wastewater treatment works.
Advise Local Municipalities on policy implementation through the District Water Sector Forum.

30. Responses: Water Project: Manage decreased water quality in ecosystems
Monitor the quality of water in rivers and dams by conducting regular audits to assess the quality of water upstream and downstream for both wet and dry seasons.
Raise awareness on high pollution points.

31. Responses: Water
Project: Manage increased fish mortality as a result of the changing climate
Support the Department of Agriculture in the expansion of fish farms, expand to other towns in the district.

32. Local Government Climate Change Support Program 2016
Xhariep DM Climate Change Response Plan